1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photo printer in which an image is thermally formed on a sheet of roll paper and the image is fixed by irradiation with light of a prescribed wavelength. More specifically, the present invention relates to a roll paper feeding device of the photo printer.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the photo printer.
The photo printer employing roll paper includes a roll paper feeding device 1 holding and feeding the roll paper, an image forming device 11 forming an image by heating a sheet of roll paper 100 fed from roll paper feeding device 1 at a prescribed temperature, an image fixing device 12 irradiating the sheet of roll paper on which the image has been formed with ultraviolet ray to fix the image, and a cutting device 13 cutting the sheet of roll paper on which the image has been fixed to a prescribes size to finish a photograph. In such a photo printer, roll paper is consumed as photographs are printed, and the diameter of the roll becomes smaller. Therefore, the roll paper feeding device of a conventional photo printer has such a structure as shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram representing the structure of the conventional roll paper feeding device.
As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional roll paper feeding device 1 includes a paper feed roller 4, a flange holder 5, a flange pressing lever 6, a roll paper pressing lever 7, a housing 2 containing these components therein, and a cover 3 arranged at an upper portion of housing 2. Cover 3 is opened and closed by rotation.
Flange holder 5 has an L-shaped slit 51, and holds a flange 101 axially supporting roll paper 100, with a shaft 102 of flange 101 supporting roll paper 100 inserted through L-shaped slit 51. Shaft 102 is pressed toward paper feed roller 4 by flange pressing lever 6, so that a force in a direction to paper feed roller 4 is exerted on flange 101, and roll paper 100 comes to be in contact with paper feed roller 4. Further, as there is a projection 52 formed along the L-shaped slit 51 of flange holder 5, shaft 102 abuts projection 52 when pressed by flange pressing lever 6, and therefore, the shaft can be held at a prescribed position and not raised from the holding position.
Other photo printers have been proposed that include such a roll paper feeding device holding the roll paper at a prescribed position (for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 11-43245 and 58-139950).
In the conventional photo printer such as shown in FIG. 4, however, when roll paper 100 is to be loaded to roll paper feeding device 1, that is, when flange 101 supporting roll paper 100 on its shaft is to be set on flange holder 5, it is difficult to insert shaft 102 to the L-shaped slit 51, as the opening for inserting shaft 102 of flange 101 to the L-shaped slit 51 is narrow. Further, as flange pressing lever 6 is always urged by a spring to the side of paper feed roller, the lever is moved to the position of L-shaped slit 51 when flange 101 is not loaded. Therefore, it is necessary for a user to press flange pressing lever 6 away from the position of L-shaped slit 51 (to a position near the inner surface of housing 2) with one hand and to put flange 101 into L-shaped slit 51 with the other hand. Thus, loading of the roll paper has been much troublesome for the user.